Apple's "New" GUI

[suspiria]

I'm still hoping Aqua will be replaced by the iTunes 7 interface elements (buttons, scrollbars, etc.) in Leopard. This way OS X would become consistent with the new Apple.com and iPhone UI color scheme (matte blue + gray). Aqua looks really lame without the pinstripes and with the dark gray titlebars and toolbars. Plus, it's seven years old, which is like 70 in computer years.

It seems pretty unlikely since those Aqua elements have been redrawn for the resolution independence. They wouldn't spend all that time redrawing the Aqua buttons, scrollbars and everything else if they were going to replace them in the end anyway.

It's a shame though, I really thought Apple was naturally moving towards the simpler button elements featured in iTunes 7.

[.Neo]

It seems pretty unlikely since those Aqua elements have been redrawn for the resolution independence. They wouldn't spend all that time redrawing the Aqua buttons, scrollbars and everything else if they were going to replace them in the end anyway.

Who said they did? For all we know the Aqua source files have been designed as vectors since day one, and simply been exported as .tiff for practical appliance.

[Koyder]

It seems pretty unlikely since those Aqua elements have been redrawn for the resolution independence. They wouldn't spend all that time redrawing the Aqua buttons, scrollbars and everything else if they were going to replace them in the end anyway.

Yeah, but judging by the screenshots floating around the Web, the current Leopard UI has "work in progress" written all over it. All Apple's latest design decisions (iTunes 7, iPhone UI, Apple.com redesign) imply they're done with Aqua. They made the iTunes 7 titlebar system-wide, so other iTunes 7 interface elements may follow. October is still 4 months away, so they've got plenty of time to do that. I really hope they do. Aqua is soooo 2001 ;)

[mattrobs]

And Safari 3 Beta for Windows replaces all Windows elements with aqua elements (even the default state button glow). Don't know why they'd go to such an effort to replace them when Leopard comes out (not to mention confusing Windows' Safari users).

[.Neo]

And Safari 3 Beta for Windows replaces all Windows elements with aqua elements (even the default state button glow). Don't know why they'd go to such an effort to replace them when Leopard comes out (not to mention confusing Windows' Safari users).

As of yet the Windows version of Safari 3 is based on the Safari 3 for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger UI (more or less). The Mac OS X Leopard version already has different toolbar buttons and such.

[mattrobs]

Do the menu bar items have fading on hover events like Safari 3 in Windows?

[sambrentnall]

ok i no i noticed other talk about this, so.... how do u install this on an external HDD iv done everything now im just trying to install it. when i get to the select your drive screen my external has a red question mark on it and says cannot install on this. iv tried formatting this drive to everything inside the disk utility and still nothing.

any help would be appreciated.

im using a USB External by the way.

[KeR]

^^ I was wrong when I said that you can install it on a USB external HD...mine is a Firewire drive, don't know what the heck I was thinking.

[sambrentnall]

lol its ok i gave up and just backed upmy HDD and installed it as my main os for a while. im ordering myself a new macbook on wednesday (pay day). it looks good so far just importing my music movies and apps.

im liking it!!!

[LTD]

lol its ok i gave up and just backed upmy HDD and installed it as my main os for a while. im ordering myself a new macbook on wednesday (pay day). it looks good so far just importing my music movies and apps.

im liking it!!!

Leopard is solid as a rock. The key is to do a completely clean install.

[Quillz]

Leopard is solid as a rock. The key is to do a completely clean install.

I agree, the WWDC beta that I'm using is surprisingly stable and fast, even though it's running off an external hard drive. Sure, it has some obvious glitches in regards to the Desktop and Photo Booth, but it's stuff that will easily be fixed by the release of the final product.

BTW, the transparent menu bar really does grow on you, and actually, it can look pretty nice with certain wallpaper. I find that with darker wallpaper, the text can be harder to read, but, like the Dock, there's now a very subtle dark black border against the text, so it's never totally unreadable.

[sambrentnall]

thats what i did, a fresh install. The menu bar does look good with the wallpaper iv got on, i think its solid i havent had any crashes just a couple of graphic issues. I was copying stuff back of my external and i only got the top bar on the copy window.

I like the new mail app, did any one els use it with gmail. Set up was easy as it did everything for you!! im shore that wasn't in tiger.

Not had any problems with software yet installed transmission, adium, divx codec and vlc. going to intall PS CS3 today il let you know how it goes.

[Quillz]

thats what i did, a fresh install. The menu bar does look good with the wallpaper iv got on, i think its solid i havent had any crashes just a couple of graphic issues. I was copying stuff back of my external and i only got the top bar on the copy window.

I like the new mail app, did any one els use it with gmail. Set up was easy as it did everything for you!! im shore that wasn't in tiger.

Not had any problems with software yet installed transmission, adium, divx codec and vlc. going to intall PS CS3 today il let you know how it goes.

Yeah, Mail is even better in Leopard, it's not completely automatic. In Tiger, I had to know the servers used by GMail, now all I have to know is my user name and password and it handles the rest.

[osirisX]

Speaking of Mail, what is the RSS like on it? Can I import all my RSS feeds that I have exported from NNWLite? Does it come up with a dock badge numbering unread feeds?

[Quillz]

Speaking of Mail, what is the RSS like on it? Can I import all my RSS feeds that I have exported from NNWLite? Does it come up with a dock badge numbering unread feeds?

The RSS feeds work pretty well, and yes, the dock icon will count unread RSS feeds in the overall unread mail total shown in the Dock icon.

[osirisX]

Ah good. What is the arrow icon for?

[sambrentnall]

it puts the feed inside ur mailbox.

on a side note, where did you get your mail icon from

[Koyder]

BTW, the transparent menu bar really does grow on you, and actually, it can look pretty nice with certain wallpaper. I find that with darker wallpaper, the text can be harder to read, but, like the Dock, there's now a very subtle dark black border against the text, so it's never totally unreadable.

Actually, sometimes it is:

http://furbo.org/2007/06/28/maybe-that-tra...ch-a-good-idea/

[suspiria]

Actually, sometimes it is:

http://furbo.org/2007/06/28/maybe-that-tra...ch-a-good-idea/

Good lord. :x

[acies]

yea because everyones using that for wallpaper now a days...

[PL_ Veteran]

Actually, sometimes it is:

http://furbo.org/2007/06/28/maybe-that-tra...ch-a-good-idea/

Uhh, that background's ugly anyways :p

[Rudy]

yea because everyones using that for wallpaper now a days...

no but it shows what could happen if a wallpaper is alternating colors where the bar is

[.Neo]

Actually I am beginning to notice that the Menu Bar really doesn't work too well with many desktop pictures. In this instance it's just way too busy:

Same applies to those black Dock labels, they just disappear with a dark background. You would think that Apple is smart enough to give them a light outline or something.

I'm still loving the overal design of the Menu Bar, especially in combination with the updated Menu Extras items. But Apple really needs to improve the effect the bar applies to the desktop picture behind it so the text stays visible enough.

Edited July 1, 2007 by .Neo

[PL_ Veteran]

Actually I am beginning to notice that the Menu Bar really doesn't work too well with many desktop pictures. In this instance it's just way too busy:

Same applies to those black Dock labels, they just disappear with a dark background. You would think that Apple is smart enough to give them a light outline or something.

I'm still loving the overal design of the Menu Bar, especially in combination with the updated Menu Extras items. But Apple really needs to improve the effect the bar applies to the desktop picture behind it so the text stays visible enough.

Yeah, or maybe an option to change the text from black to white? Say when you have an all-black background?

[acies]

I am sure they will adjust it so these aren't problems. As people have suggested, it looks like this UI was slightly rused for WWDC.